Author's Note

Alright guys. Here's the verdict:
My life has gotten super-complicated, and I can't keep up sending this fic to editors, making sure that everything works out okay, while on top of that I am helping three other people edit their fics (Oh, btw. Requests are closed now), AND I'm toying with another idea.
I've decided that I'm just gonna throw out the remainder of my crap onto the site, and declare this fic "Complete".
Sorry for those of you guys who really liked this fic. For those of you who hated it? I don't blame you. I kinda hate it (at this point) too.

Without further ado, here it is... unedited...

The Summons

Chapter 6: The Summons

I stared at the mysterious black cap and the sinister letter, mouth agape. The cap seemed oddly familiar, but my mind was still recovering from the earlier rush of memories, so I wasn’t able to put a hoof on it.

I opened the door, and to my surprise, found the apartment perfectly normal. At least, normal, as in: everything was how it was when I left. There were still dishes in the sink that needed washing, a day-old half-eaten hayburger was still sitting on the table, etc. etc. The only thing that had really changed was the appearance of the cap and note on the door.

I instinctively put the cap on, not questioning where it came from, or as to how to wear it; slipping it smoothly over my mane, and pulling it tightly onto my head.

My attention was grabbed by the now-sorry excuse for a hayburger. I was hungry after all, and didn’t want to worry about the cap or who “C” might be. All I was worried about was my stomach.

——————————————————————————————————————————

Clop. Clop. Clop.

I put the last bite of hayburger down. “Come in,” I answered. Nothing. I turned around, surprised. “The door’s open, you can come in now,” I said, louder this time. What the hay?

I walked over and opened the door. “Who’s there?” I demanded. But nopony was there. Instead, a new note was posted on my door. Meet me at the Canterlot Hospital. Room 402. -C.

Now this was getting serious, and slightly creepy. I walked downstairs, feeling somewhat shellshocked.

“Did you see anypony go through here a few minutes ago?” I asked the landmare.

“Yes, one pony,” she replied. “Why?”

“Uh… she’s a… friend of mine. What did she look like?” I think.

“Oh… um… orange coat, mint-green eyes, and a brown-grey mane. Does that sound like her?”

Holy buck. It’s her. “Yea, it does. Thanks.”

Instead of making straight for the hospital, I galloped to Twilight’s house to seek advice.

“Twilight! Twilight!” I said, banging on her door.

Twilight opened the door and glared at me for a second. “You do know that’s a new paint job, right, Denim?”

“Oh, yea… sorry.”

Twilight sighed exasperatedly. “What’s the matter now? New memories? Where’d you get the hat from?”

“I thought I was supposed to be the one asking questions?”

“Yes, but sometimes when you ask a question with a question, you get the desired answer.”

“Fair point. And to answer your questions: New memories? No. I got the hat from some mysterious pony that signs their letters as “C”. Though it seems vaguely familiar. The matter is, I just got this note posted on my door, and I have a bad feeling about who “C” might be.”

Twilight read the note, her brow furrowed. “Whatever you do, don’t go to the hospital without somepony else, such as myself or Rainbow Dash.” she advised.

“Right,” I scoffed. “The two ponies that have threatened to kill me.” The words were out of my mouth before I realized it. Twilight raised a suspicious eyebrow at me.

“Rainbow Dash never threatened to kill you,” said Twilight.

“I… uh… did I say two? I meant one is a pony who threatened to kill me, and the other might as well.” Buck. I hate being a terrible liar.

“Why?”

“Because she’s your friend and may share the same views as you do.”

“Rainbow and I? Share the same views?” Twilight laughed. “It’s more likely to snow in summer than for us to have the same views. Aside from the fact that she and I like the Daring Do series, and that we can fly, we’re practically polar opposites.”

I nodded. I mean, what could I say?

“Oh! I know! It could be Princess Celestia!” exclaimed Twilight.

I cocked my head quizzically at her.

“C is for Celestia.” she explained.

“But why meet me at a hospital ward? Why run away after posting a note onto my door? If she’s the princess of Equestria that can raise the cosmic power of the sun; she can do whatever she damn well pleases!”

“Maybe she’s gotten bored with castle life and decided to play a practical joke on some random pony,” said Twilight sarcastically. “I DON’T KNOW!”

“Well, thanks for the advice anyway,” I replied.

“Wait! Denim!”

I turned back around. “Yea?”

“What if it’s Chrysalis?”

“Then I’ll be extra careful. I’m going to Rainbow Dash to see if she wants to help me.”
——————————————————————————————————————————

I was headed towards Rainbow Dash’s place when Pinkie Pie suddenly stopped me, by sticking a hunk of cake in my mouth.

“Mmf!”

“Thanks, Denim!” said Pinkie. “There’s more inside!” she grabbed my hoof and yanked me into the bakery.

She pulled me through the door, which had the beaded kind of curtains that make a lot of noise when somepony walks through them. I felt Pinkie’s iron grasp release my hoof, and I was about to leave when she popped up behind me, holding a chocolate cake with pink icing.

“I made this for you,” she said shyly.

My mouth dropped open. The pink icing was a bunch of fancy curlicues surrounding one word: DENIM.

“I… I know it’s not much… but I felt like making it.”

I was still speechless. “I… Pinkie… I don’t know what to say…”

“Oh! You don’t like it? Oh… I’m really sorry…”

“No! Pinkie, I love it! I’m…”

“Speechless?”

“Yea, that.”

We stood there awkwardly for a second or two. Pinkie shoved the cake towards me.

“Well, it’s for you,” and she turned, looking depressed.

“Wait!” Buck. “Pinkie!”

Pinkie turned and gave me an injured look.

“What did you want?” I asked.

Pinkie paused for a second, and suddenly kissed me. My heartbeat spiked momentarily.

“That answer your question?” she asked.

I was speechless once again for the second time in the last 3 minutes. “Yea,” I smiled cockily. “Yea, I guess it does. Thanks, Pinkie. I… uh… guess I’ll make you some cookies some time.”

Pinkie smiled sheepishly. I took that as my cue to leave, taking the cake with me, my smile never leaving my face.

—————————————————————————————————————————

I arrived at Rainbow’s house, or rather, below it, still wielding the cake and a smile. I flew up and knocked on her door.

“Yea, yea,” came a voice from inside. “I’ll be right out.” Rainbow opened the door. She saw me and instantly her expression went dark.

“What the buck do you want?” she growled.

“I need your help,” I replied, still smiling.

“Uh-huh. Why are you smiling?”

“Oh, uh… Pinkie’s laughter is contagious.”

Rainbow laughed shortly. “I guess so. So, why do you need my help again?”

“I’m answering a mysterious letter that requests me to go to the hospital, but Twilight advised that I take somepony along with me, as a kind of bodyguard. Or at least, that’s what I think was implied.”

“Why?”

“In the event of it being Chrysalis, we need more than one pony to take her down.” I replied. I pulled Rainbow closer, and whispered into her ear. “And, we need somepony who understands the Rainbow Factory, and there’s no better two than us.”

At this last comment Rainbow’s expression lightened.

“Uh… and now why are you happy?”

“Oh, no reason. I like the thought of kicking somepony’s ass. Let’s do this.”
——————————————————————————————————————————

We shoved the double doors of the hospital open, standing in the doorway heroically for a second. The doctor and nurse ponies stared at us.

“Rainbow, this isn’t a competition,” I whispered to her as we walked up to reception.

“Whoever knocks out Chrysalis gets 20 bits,” she replied, a glint of madness in her eye.

I paused for a second. “Deal,” I replied.

“Who are you here to see?” asked the receptionist pony, dully.

“We’ve been told to visit Ward 402,” Rainbow answered loudly.

The pony checked her list. “Fourth floor. First door on your right.”

Rainbow marched off proudly.

“Thanks,” I told the receptionist pony.

We arrived at the door indicated. We opened the door and —